Page 83 of The Dangerous Love of a Rogue
‘We purchased a picnic once from Gunter’s tea shop…’ she said, trying to sound cheerier, ‘and took it to Green Park.’
It was not a good sign that she was reduced to small talk.
His hands hung by his sides – helpless.
A knock struck the door.
Glad of an excuse, Drew walked back and opened it.
It was Joseph. ‘Lady Framlington’s articles have arrived.’
Behind Joseph a man in Pembroke’s livery carried a small trunk. Behind him two more men bore a much larger one.
‘There are another two trunks the size of the second, my Lord,’ Joseph said.
Joseph had recognised Mary’s wealth, and also that Drew’s rooms were not large enough to accommodate it.
Drew grimaced. The doorman smiled.
Ignoring him, Drew stepped back, holding the door for Pembroke’s men. When they entered, he pointed them to the open bedroom door. ‘Stack them in there, against the walls and the end of the bed, if you can.’
Drew stayed by the door, as they brought up the rest.
Mary wandered about the sitting room, her fingertips trailing over his furniture, as though she expected to miraculously discover something more than the poor man’s home she was standing in.
He wanted to know what she thought but he would not ask.I really have become a coward.
The men did not look at him, nod, or show any deference. Mary must be well liked in Pembroke’s household and Drew had become the villain even in the servants’ quarters.
Mary looked out the window. It did not look onto the street, but down onto the courtyard where the maids hung the laundry at the rear of the building. There were usually strings of sheets, shirts and men’s underclothes out there – another embarrassment for her.
He stepped out of the way of the men bearing the last trunk.
Footsteps hit the stairs. David Martins came up, Drew’s neighbour to the right. He grinned at Drew, looked into the room and saw Mary. ‘You have a guest?’
‘I have a wife.’
‘Pretty…’
Resenting his neighbour’s intrusive stare, Drew braced his hand on the doorframe, blocking David’s view.
‘We’re very happy,’ Drew said, answering an unasked question.
‘And very rich, I suppose,’ David said. ‘I saw the trunks.’
‘Enough to get out of here,’ Drew responded, his pitch growing colder. ‘Now if you will excuse these men,’ he finished, letting Pembroke’s men walk past.
David lifted his hat and smiled.
Drew shut the door.
‘M’lud!’ a man shouted through the door.
Drew opened it. Another of Pembroke’s men stood there with a small, portable writing desk in his hands and a folding mirror tucked under his arm. The writing desk, Drew told the man to place on the table in the sitting room. The mirror, he had him put on the chest of drawers in the bedchamber.
Drew reached into his pocket to give the man pennies for them all.
He looked at Drew as though the coins were an insult. ‘We do not want y’ur money, m’lud.’
